| Simpletons | |
|---|---|
_-_Simpletons_-_B78.777_-_Wigan_Arts_and_Heritage_Service.jpg) | |
| Artist | Luke Fildes |
| Year | 1873 |
| Type | Oil on canvas, genre painting |
| Dimensions | 78 cm × 127 cm (31 in × 50 in) |
| Location | |
Simpletons is an oil painting on canvas by the British artist Luke Fildes, from 1873. The painting is also known by the alternative title The Sweet River.
It presents a courting young couple on a rowing boat in the River Thames accompanied by a dog. The title was suggested by Kate Perugini, the daughter of Charles Dickens.
It was intended as a follow-up to his success, Fair Quiet and Sweet Rest, the previous year, which depicted a similar idyllic scene on the Thames. The success of both paintings allowed him to focus on less commercial Realist scenes of ordinary life such as Applicants for Admission to a Casual Ward. The picture was displayed at the Royal Academy Exhibition of 1873 held at Burlington House in London. Two notable versions of the painting exist; one was auctioned by Christie's in 2016 while the other has been in the collection of the Museum of Wigan Life since 1955.